Relationships 2

'Then the Lord God made a woman...and he brought her to the man.' Genesis 2:22 NIV

Adam lived in a perfect neighbourhood and had a perfect job - one God gave him. It doesn't get much better than that. Nevertheless, he was lonely; something was missing from his life. The Bible says, 'But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God...made a woman' (Genesis 2:20-22 NIV). God recognised Adam's need for companionship and he met that need. However, this is where some of us, acting on loneliness, frustration or bad advice, rush ahead of God.There's a reason one of the nine gifts of the Spirit listed in the Bible is the ability to distinguish between spirits (see 1 Corinthians 12:10). When someone comes into your life they don't just bring their looks, talents and financial assets; they also bring their spirit. If you've ever been around someone with a controlling spirit, a vindictive spirit, a resentful spirit or a negative spirit, you know why this particular gift is so important. So make yourself a hard jury, one that's not easily convinced, one that requires concrete evidence before reaching a verdict. And remember that it's better to lengthen the deliberation process and ensure the decision you make is right, than to reach a hasty conclusion and end up with a broken heart.You may not feel wise and experienced when it comes to making such decisions, but hear this: It's not how much you know that arms you with the tools of great decision making, but how much you ask. The first person to ask is God, and the time to do it is before, not after, you get into a relationship.